


Hopeless

by aces_low



Series: drabbles and ish [30]
Category: Generation Kill
Genre: Explicit Language, Fluff and Humor, Friends With Benefits, Love Confessions, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-03-09
Updated: 2018-03-09
Packaged: 2019-03-29 04:44:04
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 961
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13919634
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/aces_low/pseuds/aces_low
Summary: Ray lays down some truth for Brad.





	Hopeless

**Author's Note:**

> Written for the prompt “How can you think I’m anything but hopelessly in love with you?”
> 
>  
> 
> Based on the HBO series characters.

Ray maneuvers past Brad at the door and makes a beeline to the fridge. He’s almost positive they have leftover pizza.

“You didn’t have to come with me.”

“Huh?” he asks as he digs through the Tupperware and foil-wrapped leftovers. “What’d you say?”

Brad passes through the kitchen, reaching past Ray’s head for a clean glass.

“I was just saying you didn’t have to leave, just because I was leaving.”

Ray sets the timer on the microwave before turning toward Brad.

“Why would I do that? Pay a cab twenty bucks instead of getting a free ride back here? You know I’m too cheap for that.”

Brad shrugs before taking a sip of his water.

The microwave beeps and Ray immediately pulls the pizza down, taking a bite and burning his tongue in the process.

“Ah, shit,” Ray hisses, spitting the offending bite into his hand, a string of cheese leading from his lip to the small piece.

Brad grimaces at Ray before he sighs and reaches above his head for a plate this time. He takes the pizza slice from Ray and puts it on the plate before handing it back to him.

“Don’t put that in your mouth again,” Brad says, pointing at the piece that he’d spat out.

Ray grins and does the exact opposite of Brad’s demand.

“What is wrong with you?” he asks, watching Ray continue to eat his now slightly cooled off pizza.

“The list is long and varied,” Ray answers as he chews. “More importantly though, what’s wrong with you?”

“What?”

“You’ve been grumpy all night. I thought maybe it’d get better once we left the bar, but you’ve got your hackles raised still.”

Ray continues to eat as he watches Brad try to lower his shoulders and take on a more relaxed stance, without much success.

Finally, after a few minutes, he gives up and just crosses his arms.

“You should’ve stayed at the bar,” Brad finally says, eyes focused on the now empty plate in front of Ray.

“You wanted some alone time?” Ray smirks.

“No, you just…we don’t have to do everything together, you know? Just because I want to leave doesn’t mean you have to.”

“Ok,” Ray says slowly, narrowing his eyes as he watches Brad’s continued closed off stance.

“We’re not…this isn’t anything, you can do what you want,” Brad says, looking him right in the eye for just a second before he shifts his gaze away again.

It takes several seconds for Ray to wrap his mind around Brad’s words, but once they click he takes a step closer.

“Wait…hold on. Is this about that girl I was talking to?”

Brad scowls. “You guys were clearly hitting it off, far be it from me to fuck that up for you.”

Ray takes another step toward him and can see Brad’s fingers curl into fists.

“So, what I think you’re saying is you’d rather I went home with her than with you?”

“No,” Brad’s voice is hard and icy and Ray has to fight the grin that wants to grow on his face. “I mean…just because you’re living with me right now, doesn’t mean you have to feel obligated to only fuck me.”

The next step Ray takes puts him close enough that he has to bend his neck back a little to look Brad in the eye.

“Sure, cause we’re not ‘anything’. Tell me, Brad. How many hookers have you called since I moved in?”

Brad’s frown is answer enough for him, even though Ray already knew that answer was zero.

“And, we both know you don’t do random hookups,” Ray continues. “So, in terms of who you’re fucking right now, I’m pretty much number one, your leading man, the best lay you've got going for you. Though I guess that also means I’m the worst, so maybe we don’t need to go that far with it.”

“What the fuck is your point?”

“My point is, neither one of us is fucking other people right now. And my point is that you’re fucked in the head if you think I’m just fucking you cause we live together, like I’m _that_ fucked up to get into that kind of bullshit. My point is, you’re dumb as hell sometimes, homes.”

“Yeah, fuck you too.”

“Honestly, how can you think I’m anything but hopelessly in love with you?” he asks, with a put-upon sigh for good measure.

Brad just blinks, watching Ray for a long minute, probably waiting for the punchline, but when one never comes he takes in a sharp, unsteady breath.

“Wait, what?”

“It’s gay as hell, right? I’ve got all these gay ass feelings and they’re zeroed in on one giant, emotionally constipated nerd, it’s a nightmare.”

“Ray, shut the fuck up for a second and let me think.”

Ray grins and wraps his arms around Brad’s middle, ignoring the fact that Brad is currently standing like a statue. “That’s what I love about you, all brains, none of that feelings bullshit.”

He can feel more than hear Brad’s sigh before Brad pushes him back a few steps so that they can look at each other again.

“You have sauce on your face,” Brad says. “You’re like a feral child. Did the people in the trailer park you inhabited just leave food out for you to ravage before the coyotes got to it first?”

Ray’s smile grows, both at Brad’s words and the fond look in he can see clearly in Brad’s eyes.

Brad shakes his head. “I think I’m in love with you too,” he says like it hasn’t been the most obvious thing in the world.

“Christ, we’re certifiable,” Ray says with a small laugh that Brad quickly muffles with his lips.

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading!


End file.
